Monday, 30 June 2008

Thursday, Colin found a little tern off the dam. Despite pegging it down there from work the lingering bird managed to de-linger itself and clear off two seconds before I arrived, leaving a bemused Mark who had been watching it up until I arrived.The bird was undoubtedly still around as it wa seen again by Colin the next morning, but I had a band practise to get to, so I couldn't look around elsewhere. Doh!

Then, Colin pulled it out of the bag again, when on Saturday he found a drake Green-winged Teal in the lagoons. Now this time last year Mark and me found one in the same spot, so this could potentially be the same returning bird, coming back to moult, but we will never be sure. However, I was sitting in a garden in Taunton, Somerset, with a beer in one hand and a sausage in the other (from a bbq), so I didn't get to see it.

Arrived home Sunday night and went straight to the lagoons with full family. Enjoyable walk, but no joy with the teal. Did pick out a first summer Mediterranean Gull loafing with the Black-heads in front of the hide however, which was a little bit of consolation.

Later, had another look round and during this managed to stand on a blackthorn thorn (ouch) and tear all the skin off the end of my little finger through getting it caught in my tripod (double ouch). So, with blood everywhere, I failed to see the pesky teal. I am confident that the teal will stay to moult so let's hope I catch up with it before it becomes indistinguishable from it's European cousins!

Tuesday, 24 June 2008

A bit of an easterly was blowing so I was not surprised to see a fine adult Black Tern sitting on J buoy and then flying around over the res at 4pm with a bunch of Common Terns. However, being the end of June, rather than mid-May, it is perhaps a little unusual.

Not a lot else doing, but managed a few shots of the Bee Orchids. Also, found a bit of Sulphur Clover in the lagoons too, just about clinging on in the scrubbing-up grasslands.

Two young men who I spied walking round the lagoons finally lay down on a sunlit slope. I thought they might be about to re-enact a scene from Brokeback Mountain, but thankfully for Willow's impressionable young eyes, they did not.

Monday, 23 June 2008

Off work ill, boohoo. Went for a walk with the family round the lagoons for some air (it will do you good) mid-arvo. The Wigeon was still hanging out. Not surprising really, it has no flight feathers left. Not much else doing on the bird front, apart from a couple of loafing Yellow-legged Gulls on the res, and about 20 Common Terns gliding about. No hoped for mid-summer Manxie though. I hope we didn't peak too early with the Stormy on the 4th!Bee Orchids and two Common Spotted Orchids also in the lagoons.

Sunday, 22 June 2008

Roast in the oven, so nipped down to the lagoons to check out the scene.For once, the lagoon in front of the hide was full of birds. Several Common Terns loafed on the islands, with loads of moulting ducks, including a male Wigeon, which was a nice surprise. A LRP was skittering about, but the hoped for Stilt Sandpiper had still not arrived from Rutland. Smelt oven smoke so shot home...mmmm roast potatoes!

With strong westerly winds, my hoped for Little Shear did not show itself on the res, so I packed baby (10 weeks now!), dog (5 stone now!) and lady wife in to the jalopy for a drive down to Honeydon in North Bedfordshire. Having not been to this site in years I was a bit worried I would not find the exact spot...Fortunately I had had the foresight four years ago to put a little ring round the spot on my OS map, which helped no end. As soon as we turned up I could see hordes of Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem in full flower along the verge - nice! Although it is also called Bath Asparagus, we decided not to sample any. Next, we wandered north up the road spying some Sulphur Clover and then shortly the main target, Crested Cow-wheat. This mad looking alien of a plant is simply stonking and I have only ever seen it here. I was pleased to see there was plenty of it growing in magenta patches along the roadside.

We then headed over to Paxton to look for fly-over Black Storks or rare raptors, but only managed some Tufted Ducklings and a Chiffchav before leaving the site to the bull terrier-toting Sunday afternoon crowds.

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About me...

Follow me on Twitter: @birdingdad

If you see anything interesting in the York area, please email me recorder@yorkbirding.org.uk

I am a birder from York, who became a Dad in April 2008 (and again in March 2010). I birded York until 1993 when I went off to UEA in Norwich. After spending some time in Madagascar and Indonesia, I ended up in Cambridgeshire. In May 2009 I moved away from one of the best inland birding patches, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire, to live in Norfolk. I birded the mid-Yare Valley NNR (Strumpshaw - Buckenham - Cantley) for 18 months, but have now moved back to York, where I'm from.Most of my time is spent on Dad duties and my band, Our Enemies, but when I get chance to go birding, I spend my time tramping round the York area, especially the LDV and Wheldrake Ings, and getting across to Flamborough and Filey from time to time. The rest of the time I try and work on my nature skills, checking out this and that.

I work for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (since 2010) having formerly worked at Norfolk Wildlife Trust (2009-2010) and Beds, Cambs, Northants Wildlife Trust (2001-2009).

I also do a bit of leading/guiding for Yorkshire Coast Nature and Wildlife Travel.

I am on the committee of York Ornithological Club where I am the Bird Recorder for the York Recording Area (see map).

The image at the top of the page is part of a flock of Pomarine Skuas, one of my fave birds, taken on Harris in May 2011.

My old Indybirder website, as reviewed in Birdwatch mag no less!: http://indybirder.tripod.com

UK Pan List Total: 1,346 (at 16 August 2015)

The Rare and Scarce Birds of the York Area 1965 - 2015

Available to buy now from the York Ornithological Club - click the image to visit the YOC website

Great Grey Owl

The best bird I ever saw. Great Grey Owl, Alberta.

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York area birding map (thanks to YOC)

Yank Wigeon

Found at Castle Howard, 12 Feb 16

Green-winged Teal

Found at Wheldrake Ings 20 Dec 15

Green-winged Teal, North Duffield Carrs

Found Jan 15 amongst tonnes of Teal

Dusky Warbler

Found on a guided walk at Flamborough South Landing, October 2013

Short-toed Lark, Aird an Rhunair

We found this mini lark in the machair near the skua watch point, May 2013

Pallid Swift, Flamborough

My first good Yorkshire find since returning to the county, Flamborough Oct 2011

Pectoral Sandpiper, Grafham Water

Mark Hawkes and myself found this Pectoral Sandpiper flying over at Grafham Water, Sept 07, fortunately, it landed on the muddy shore.

Laughing Gull, Grafham Water

Having found Cambridgeshire's first in November 2006, I was shocked to also find the second - this bird, on the dam in June 07

White-rumped Sandpiper, Grafham Water

Cambridgeshire's third and a good find at Grafham Water, in October 2006. This corker flew past with Ringos and Dunlin and landed on the shore in front of me. Corker!

Ring-necked Duck, Grafham Water

My first decent 'find' at GW, this corking drake was with the Tufties on the sludge lagoons on a sunny April morning.

Blue Rock Thrush, Porthgwarra

Ten years on from the shrike and we were back in Cornwall. Dunc proclaimed I have just seen a blue bird! And then this popped up. Britain's third and a first for mainland Cornwall. This isn't a photo of the bird.

Isabelline Shrike, Zennor

The first good bird I was involved in finding, with my folks, and old mate Duncan Poyser, at Zennor in October 1989. Cornwall's first record. This isn't a photo of the actual bird.